Downtown Preston in Business

It will include launching a campaign to keep people in the city centre after 5pm, employing 'street rangers' to crack down on crime and introducing a series of events.

Co-ordinator Hugh Evans, who is leading the group spearheading the plans, said the arrival of a BID would show investors that "things are starting to happen in Preston."

Each city centre business will get the chance to vote on the plans later this year. The key aims of the BID will be:

* Delivering a programme of upmarket events, festivals and high-quality entertainment to encourage more visitors to the city centre;

* Launching a 'Preston Alive After 5' campaign of leisure activity, shopping and street entertainment;

* Employing high-visibility street rangers to act as a 'meet and greet and information resource' for visitors, and a deterrent to beggars and illegal street traders;

* Improving security to crack down on anti-social behaviour and expanding the existing city centre Radionet and Pubnet schemes;

* Installing better signposting, information points and displays to create a "more welcoming city centre."

Mr Evans, policy director of the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Trade, said that increasing visitor numbers in the city centre and making it a more welcoming place was the key message businesses had given him during recent consultation.

He said: "The BID is not intended to deliver large-scale capital project or replace existing activity already in the city centre, it will deliver new and additional activity to complement projects such
as Tithebarn."

If they vote in favour of the BID, companies would pay an extra 1% on their business rates, which could be up to £4,000 a year extra for major stores and around £400 for smaller stores.

Rob Binns, who owns the Brown's and Truth bars on Glovers' Court in the city centre, said he hoped the cash would be used to attract extra people in from outside Preston.

He said: "Any scheme like 'Alive After 5' is to be welcomed, but I think if we concentrate on getting people into Preston for shopping or to visit attractions at the weekend, the leisure sector will benefit anyway."

Chairman Frank McKenna, of business group Downtown Preston in Business, said: "We would be kidding ourselves if we think 'Alive at Five' is going to create a thriving night-time economy, what it needs to be is part of a wider investment in the city.

"I have supported BID from the beginning and believe that it needs to be something embraced by the local authorities to stimulate more investment into Preston."

Joint chief executive Nicholas Watson, of the Preston Chamber of Trade, said the BID proposal should be welcomed – but warned it would not be an overnight success.

He said: "I do not think we can underestimate the scale of the challenge facing us, it will be vital that retail buys into BID in a substantial way if it is to be a success."

The vote will consist of two ballots, one in terms of number of retailers and another based on company's rateable value, with a majority vote required in both on a one-member, one-vote basis.

The rateable value of businesses in the BID area, which would be bounded by Ring Way, is £52m.